Goldendoodles are a first-generation cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. This incredible combination yields a medium/large sized dog with a friendly, patient temperament and a wavy, low-to-no shedding coat. 

This hybrid has attracted a lot of attention in the past couple of years and with good reason.  Some of our goldendoodle puppies have been featured in CNN's Money Magazine and the premier edition of Puppy Basics Magazine. In addition to these publications, we have had the opportunity to contribute to Wikipedia's Goldendoodle article.

Because of the growing popularity of Goldendoodles, many breeders are rapidly expanding to meet the demand. We are a small hobby breeder at Longleash and only have a few planned litters per year. This allows us to give our parent dogs, puppies and customers the attention that they deserve.

DESCRIPTION OF GOLDENDOODLES

It is important to understand your family's needs and wants when selecting a new family pet.  Goldendoodles are a medium/large sized dog, about the size of a Standard Poodle.  Although some Goldendoodles may have curlier coats than others, a typical Goldendoodle coat is full, soft and fleecy.  The coat can be cream, gold, apricot, chocolate and black, even within the same litter.  At Longleash, we specialize in light to medium gold coats.

Goldendoodles may be nonallergenic. Their coat is low to no-shedding, making them an excellent choice for people who suffer from allergies. As each litter of pups differs depending on which genes are passed on from the Standard Poodle and Golden Retriever, the degree of shedding can vary. However the extent of shedding is significantly less than that of the Golden Retriever or other breeds with fur.

The coat of a Goldendoodle needs to be brushed regularly to prevent painful matting, and will require professional grooming two to three times a year. Many groomers are still perfecting the "Goldendoodle Cut" and often make the mistake of leaving the ears and tail hair long while clipping the rest of the body short. This look is very imbalanced and causes their limbs to look disproportionately long and skinny against the puffy head and tail. Doodles look best with a "Puppy cut" or something similar to a traditional Wheaton Terrier cut to avoid the common mistakes made by inexperienced groomers.

TEMPERAMENT AND TRAINING OF GOLDENDOODLES

Goldendoodles are intelligent, friendly, and great with kids, just like their Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle parents.  They are easily trained, highly social, and by nature are friendly to strangers and other dogs.  They love to play, and retain the strong retrieving instincts of the Golden Retriever, and love fetching sticks, balls, Frisbees, etc.

It is important to note that there exceptions to any rule and so we strongly suggest that our customers attend Puppy Training classes to learn to work through situations should difficulties in dominance arise. Often it is not even an issue of 'dominance' as much as an issue of confusion. Your puppy needs to know where his or her position is within your family. There is a natural order found in all social animals that requires a dominant Alpha figure to be the recognized and respected leader. If your puppy's position in your family is not consistently and clearly defined in a way that he/she can understand, your puppy will likely attempt to take on the Alpha role and issues of dominance may arise.

Much of what is necessary to have a well adjusted dog begins with a realignment of how we interact with our canine companions. When dealing with and training canines you are essentially training a wolf in disguise, not a quasihuman. The biggest behavioral problems are encountered when we do not speak the language our dogs are wired to understand. Luckily there are many many wonderful books available to help you understand the needs of your pet. One that I have found to be particularly helpful is the New Complete Dog Training Manual, by Bruce Fogle, DVM.

HEALTH OF GOLDENDOODLES

As a first-generation hybrid breed, Goldendoodles take on the best traits of both parent breeds.  They generally live longer and have less health problems than either purebred parent line.  By crossing two distinct genetic lines, you virtually eliminate any of the health problems that come as a result of line breeding.  Look in our links section for more information on genetics.

Here at Longleash Family Breeders, we have made every effort to ensure that our dogs are in excellent health by screening both parents for genetic illnesses and other hereditary diseases like Hip Dysplasia.

MORE INFORMATION ON GOLDENDOODLES

Please check our links section to find out more.